Get kitchen ready for Thanksgiving

What could be more satisfying than remodeling your kitchen? Using it! And Thanksgiving is one of the best times of year to be in the kitchen, especially with the expectation of a visit with hoards of friends and family.

So keep it clean and safe:

BUST BACTERIA

According to the folks at Sunset Magazine’s test kitchen, bacteria is easier to remove from a wood cutting board than from a plastic one.

Wash wood cutting boards after every use with a mixture of bleach and detergent. Keep in mind that you should never ever mix bleach and ammonia as the combination can be lethal.

Raw poultry and eggs are especially dangerous to work with and should be handled carefully with frequent hand washing.

By the way, Sunset also recommends the use of mineral oil to preserve your cutting board. Conventional vegetable oil could become rancid and should not be used.

SHARPEN KNIVES NOW

A carpenter’s tools include a hammer and saw. A cook uses fork, knife and spoon. Make that a sharp knife.

Professional cooks insist on razor-sharp knives, which do not require the use of force to cut effectively.

A kitchen shop can sharpen knives, and sometimes, so can a place that sells saws. If that doesn’t work, call a local restaurant for advice.

FANCY FOR FREE

A trivet bought from a cooking store can cost dozens of dollars. But wouldn’t you love to have a set of magnificent trivets that don’t cost an arm and a leg?

Take a trip to your local tile center. A good one will display hundreds if magnificently beautiful tiles in every color, pattern and texture imaginable. Ask for a look at discontinued items, as often you can get these for a song.

Make them your own by adding a layer of stick-on felt to the back.

WAXY WASTE

Candles are a big part of holiday events, and with candles comes waxy waste. Drips and drops on the floor and furniture.

Get wax out with a shopping bag and a clothes iron. Lay the brown paper bag over the wax. Run the hot iron over the bag, and the warmed wax will be drawn into the brown paper.

Repeat the process with a clean area of the paper bag until all the wax has been absorbed.

XFor more home improvement tips and information visit www.onthehouse.com.